What devs need to know about localization, ft. Concha Fernandez Alvarez, Aurelie Perrin, and Guido Di Carlo
Localization represents a critical yet frequently undervalued aspect of game development for studios seeking to reach international markets. A Game Developer feature explores the disconnect between developers and localization specialists, examining perspectives from industry professionals Concha Fernandez Alvarez, Aurelie Perrin, and Guido Di Carlo.
Despite localization’s importance for commercial success in overseas regions, the discipline faces persistent challenges. Localizers regularly encounter professional difficulties including exclusion from game credits, intensive crunch schedules, and growing concerns about potential replacement by generative AI and machine translation technologies. These pressures highlight broader questions about the value assigned to specialized localization expertise within the industry.
The article emphasizes a fundamental gap in developer awareness. Most game developers operate with limited visibility into localization processes, which remain largely opaque to core development teams. This disconnect contributes to the undervaluation of localization work and compounds the professional struggles localizers face. The feature addresses how developers can better collaborate with localization specialists and brings attention to the expertise required for bringing games to different languages and markets.